A great tit feeding in Shirley's garden
The last in our series of RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch Guest Posts from starlets of the blogosphere, comes from Shirley.
Who shares not only how she first came to attract birds into her own garden, but how with the right siting of bird feeders, choice of food and a bit of patience can help you to enjoy the sights and sounds of beautiful birds in your garden as well.
For more great articles, visit Shirl’s Garden Watch here.
Shirls’ Garden Bird Story
Quietly counting and observing garden birds at a window with my daughter for a school project was where it all started. I was a gardener of a small garden full of plants who didn’t feed birds.
Bird feeders put up, we waited in anticipation.
Observations and counts went on for three months and in that time we were amazed at how many bird species began to regularly visit. When it came to bird ID’s we made notes of colour, markings, size and where the bird was feeding.
School Project over, I found myself still looking out the window and referring to the RSPB Birdfeeder Guide by Robert Burton – now wondering who might visit next. (If you are new to feeding birds in your garden I would definitely recommend this book for the bird profiles alone, but it also includes plants to feed birds, sighting feeders and nestboxes too).
Just as the gardener considers location in planting a plant, I discovered that bird feeders were no different with the location of the feeder being crucial even before you filled it.
“Why are birds not visiting my feeders?” I have been asked many times since I began blogging. My answer is always the same – have you advertised?
Like many with a small garden, I don’t have a large tree. So, as gardeners do, I borrowed the landscape outside my garden. Well, in this case my neighbour’s tree which acts as a viewing platform over my garden.
Back in my garden, a smaller tree with feeders hooked on the highest branches catch the early sun glistening like neon signs saying Café Open. Positioned to be seen from my neighbour’s tree, these feeders are very popular as birds are able to move safely between the trees.
Once inside my garden, birds can then see a variety of feeders which are also located near branches of small trees, shrubs and hanging from hooks on structures. I love to see my garden come alive as visiting birds crisscross through plants and feeders.
In the category of ‘Food to go’ where birds take food away to eat in the safety of a tree, I’ve found a tubular seed feeder with peanuts or sunflower hearts is a great hit with Great tits, Blue tits & Coal tits.
In the category of ‘Time to wait’ the tubular seed feeder is a hit again. Filled with sunflower hearts I’ve found it popular with the highest number of garden birds: House & Tree Sparrows, Chaffinches, Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Siskins and Bramblings.
There is much competition here with Robins, Starlings and Blackbirds trying to land on the perches to feed too. Woodpigeons wander below eating the spill.
Also in the’ Time to wait’ category would be peanuts in peanut feeders and fat balls in cages. Siskins and Blue tits enjoy the peanuts.
Starlings are greedy at fat balls so I have an extra caged feeder that they can’t get in. House Sparrows have taken ownership of this with Blue tits dining there too.
In the ‘Table service’ category, seed mixes and fat cake (whole or crumbled) bring a mix of diners – House Sparrows, Chaffinches, Robins, Dunnocks, Blackbirds, Starlings and (with a tight squeeze) Woodpigeons.
Ground feeders provide the ‘Picnic option’ with the same selection of foods and birds visiting as the table but with added apple quarters, sultanas and occasional treats of dried mealworms and grated cheese.
Treats will be out for my bird count 
If this is your first time taking part in the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch I do hope you enjoy it. I also hope this may see the start of a new chapter in your enjoyment of your garden too.
Shirley blogs at Shirl’s Gardenwatch
